Workshop on Sensing, Coding, and Communications

Speakers

Prof. Henk Wymeersch (Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden)

From ISAC to DISAC - Concepts, Trade-offs, and Opportunities

Abstract:

Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) is emerging as a key enabler for future wireless networks, offering dual-functionality in communication and environmental sensing. This talk explores the principles of Distributed ISAC (DISAC), highlighting its potential to enhance wireless systems through cooperative and distributed architectures. We will examine the core trade-offs and synergies between sensing and communication, the impact of network synchronization, interference management, and resource allocation in distributed scenarios. Additionally, we discuss practical deployment challenges, including hardware constraints, synchronization, and the influence of multi-antenna (MIMO) and multi-node cooperation.

Biography:

Henk Wymeersch obtained the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering/Applied Sciences in 2005 from Ghent University, Belgium. He is currently a Professor of Communication Systems with the Department of Electrical Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden. Prior to joining Chalmers, he was a postdoctoral researcher from 2005 until 2009 with the Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Prof. Wymeersch served as Associate Editor for IEEE Communication Letters, IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, and IEEE Transactions on Communications and is currently Senior Member of the IEEE Signal Processing Magazine Editorial Board. During 2019-2021, he was an IEEE Distinguished Lecturer with the Vehicular Technology Society. His current research interests include the convergence of communication and sensing, in a 5G and beyond 5G context.

Prof. Shuowen Zhang (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China)

ISAC Exploiting Prior Distribution Information: Optimized Beamforming and How Many Sensing Beams are Needed?

Abstract:

In wireless sensing or integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) systems, the exact values of the parameters to be sensed are generally unknown before sensing is performed. This leads to unknown channels associated with the sensing targets, which pose new challenges for the beamforming design. On the other hand, the distribution of the parameters to be sensed can be practically acquired a priori based on target properties or statistical analysis. This talk will present a new beamforming optimization framework for wireless sensing or ISAC systems based only on the prior distribution information about the parameters to be sensed. Specifically, we are going to discuss a series of interesting questions as follows. Firstly, for a sensing-only system, with various possible values for each parameter to be sensed, each with a potentially different probability, how to design transmit beamforming and how many sensing beams are needed? We will unveil a novel "probability-dependent power focusing" effect in the optimized beamforming design. Secondly, for an ISAC system with dual-functional beams for sensing and communication, how many dual-functional beams are needed for achieving an optimal trade-off between sensing and communication? Thirdly, for an ISAC system with potentially dedicated sensing beams, when are sensing beams needed and how many sensing beams are needed? Finally, we will reveal the role of such prior distribution information in various other practical problems such as the placement design of sensing anchors as well as the beamforming designs in systems with limited radio frequency (RF) chains, reconfigurable surface, physical-layer security consideration, or networked sensing.

Biography:

Shuowen Zhang (Senior Member, IEEE) received the B.Eng. degree in information engineering from the Chien-Shiung Wu Honors College, Southeast University, Nanjing, China, in June 2013, and the Ph.D. degree from NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering (NGS), National University of Singapore, in January 2018 under the NGS scholarship. From February 2018 to July 2020, she was a Research Fellow with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore. Since August 2020, she has been with The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, where she is currently an Assistant Professor at the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Her research interests include integrated sensing and communication, intelligent reflecting surface aided communication, unmanned aerial vehicles, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), and communication theory. Prof. Zhang is currently serving as an Editor for IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications and an Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing. She has served as a Guest Editor for various journals such as the IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications. She has also served as an IEEE Communications Society Asia-Pacific Board WICE Vice Chair and an IEEE/ACM N2Women Mentoring Co-Chair. Prof. Zhang is the sole recipient of the 2021 Marconi Society Paul Baran Young Scholar Award, as well as a recipient of the 2022 IEEE Communications Society Young Author Best Paper Award (as first author), the 2023 IEEE Communications Society Best Tutorial Paper Award (as second author), the 2023 PolyU Young Innovative Researcher Award, and the 2024 IEEE Communications Society Asia-Pacific Outstanding Young Researcher Award.

Prof. Liang Liu (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University)

Ubiquitous Sensing in 6G Cellular Networks

Abstract:

Recently, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has identified integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) as a primary usage scenario for the sixth-generation (6G) cellular networks in IMT-2030 Framework. As a result, future cellular networks will provide not only communication services, but also sensing services such as localization and tracking. However, how to exploit the existing communication infrastructure to effectively achieve sensing functions remains an open problem for 6G. In this talk, we will introduce the methodologies to leverage various types of communication nodes in cellular networks as anchors, including base stations, user equipments, and reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, to perform ubiquitous sensing. Specifically, the advantages and disadvantages of each type of anchors will be listed, and the efficient solutions to overcome these disadvantages will be outlined. Apart from theoretical works, this talk will also present our latest achievements in building a 6G ISAC platform that operates at the millimeter-wave band. We will conclude this talk by discussing some promising future directions that will be beneficial to the transformation of the world’s largest communication network into the world’s largest sensing network.

Biography:

Dr. Liang Liu received the Ph.D. degree from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2014. He was a postdoctoral fellow at University of Toronto from 2015 to 2017, a research fellow at NUS from 2017 to 2019, and an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) from 2019 to 2024. Currently, he is an associate professor in the Department of EEE at PolyU. His research interests include wireless communications and networking, advanced signal processing and optimization techniques, and Internet-of-Things (IoT). Dr. Liang LIU is an IEEE ComSoc Distinguished Lecturer for the class of 2025-2026. He is the recipient of the 2021 IEEE Signal Processing Society Best Paper Award, the 2017 IEEE Signal Processing Society Young Author Best Paper Award, the Best Student Paper Award for 2022 IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP), and the Best Paper Award for 2011 International Conference on Wireless Communications and Signal Processing (WCSP). He was listed in Highly Cited Researchers, also known as World's Most Influential Scientific Minds, by Clarivate Analytics (Thomson Reuters) in 2018. He is an editor for IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, and was a leading guest editor for IEEE Wireless Communications special issue on "Massive Machine-Type Communications for IoT". He is a co-author of the book "Next Generation Multiple Access" published at Wiley-IEEE Press.

Prof. Seok-Hwan Park (Jeonbuk National University, Korea)

Hybrid TDMA-NOMA-Cooperative Transmission for Collaborative Multi-UAV Sensing and Data Collection

Abstract:

This talk presents a collaborative sensing and data collection system in which multiple UAVs sense an area of interest and transmit sensory data to a cloud server (CS) for processing. To accelerate the completion of sensing and transmission (SnT) missions, the sensing task is divided into individual private sensing tasks for each UAV and a common sensing task that is executed by all UAVs to enable cooperative transmission. Unlike existing studies, we explore the use of an advanced cell-free MIMO network, which effectively manages inter-UAV interference. To further optimize wireless channel utilization, we introduce a hybrid transmission strategy that combines TDMA, NOMA, and cooperative transmission. Extensive numerical results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed task allocation and hybrid transmission scheme in accelerating the completion of SnT missions.

Biography:

Seok-Hwan Park received the B.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from Korea University, Seoul, South Korea, in 2005 and 2011, respectively. Since 2015, he has been with Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, South Korea, where he is currently a Professor. From 2012 to 2014, he was a Postdoctoral Research Associate with New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA, and from 2014 to 2015, he was a Senior Engineer with Samsung Electronics, Suwon, South Korea. His research interests include MIMO communications and optimization. He has received several accolades, including the 2024 ICT Express Best Reviewer Award, the 2018 IEEE Signal Processing Society Best Paper Award, and the Best Paper Award at APCC 2006. He was also recognized as one of the best TPC members at ICTC 2024 and an Exemplary Reviewer of IEEE Transactions on Communications, in 2022. Since December 2022, he has been serving as an Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications. He is a Senior Member of IEEE.

Prof. Emanuele Viterbo (Monash University, Australia)

Binary Cyclic-gap Constant Weight Codes with Low-Complexity Encoding and Decoding

Abstract:

In this talk, we focus on the design of binary constant weight codes that admit low-complexity encoding and decoding algorithms and that have size M=2^k so that codewords can conveniently be labeled with binary vectors of length k. For every integer l >= 3, we construct an (n=2^l, M=2^{k_l}, d=2) constant weight code C_l of weight l by encoding information in the gaps between successive 1's of a vector, and call them "cyclic-gap constant weight codes". The code is associated with a finite integer sequence of length l satisfying a constraint defined as "anchor-decodability" that is pivotal to ensure low complexity for encoding and decoding. The time complexity of the encoding algorithm is linear in the input size k, and that of the decoding algorithm is poly-logarithmic in the input size n, discounting the linear time spent on parsing the input. Neither algorithm requires expensive computation of binomial coefficients, unlike the case in many existing schemes.

Prof. Hei Victor Cheng (Aarhus University, Denmark)

Modulating Information Through the Environment

Abstract:

This presentation presents a new way of utilizing reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) to aid communication systems in which the RIS and the transmitter either jointly or independently send information to the receiver. The RIS is an emerging technology that uses a large number of passive reflective elements with adjustable phases to intelligently reflect the transmitted signal to the intended receiver. While most previous studies of the RIS focus on its ability to beamform and to boost the received signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), during this talk we will show that if the information data stream is also available at the RIS and can be modulated through the adjustable phases at the RIS, significant improvement in the {degree-of-freedom} (DoF) of the overall channel is possible. From a practical perspective, this talk also proposes several signal processing approaches, including Sigma-Delta modulation and symbol-level precoding for modulating data through the phases of the RIS. Numerical simulation results verify the theoretical DoF results and the feasibility of using RIS as virtual transmitters.

Biography:

Hei Victor Cheng is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Aarhus University, Denmark. He received the B.Eng. degree in electronic engineering from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, the M.Phil. degree in electronic and computer engineering from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and the Ph.D. degree from the Department of Electrical Engineering, Linköping University, Sweden. He worked as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. His research interests include next-generation cellular technologies, intelligent surfaces, and machine learning.

Prof. Li-Hsiang Shen (National Central University, Taiwan)

Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces-Assisted Wireless Networks: From Theory to Practice and Its Advances

Abstract:

The reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) and its advanced simultaneously transmitting and reflecting (STAR)-RIS is conceived for full-duplex supporting simultaneous uplink and downlink users. Furthermore, dual STAR-RISs (D-STAR) is conceived as a novel architecture for 360-degree full-plane coverage. Extending from D-STAR, a double-sided STAR-RIS (DS-STAR) becomes a promising solution, with a single metasurface enabling signals impinging from both sides. Additionally, stacked intelligent metasurfaces, multi-functional RIS, and fluid-antenna-aided RIS networks are attracting increasing attention due to their flexibility in adapting to dynamic channel conditions. From implementation perspective, an intelligent deployment of RIS (i-Dris) prototype is established. The multi-RISs are deployed on the auto-guided-vehicle (AGV), whereas the transceivers are monitored by the edge server for evaluating system throughput. Federated multi-agent reinforcement learning (FMARL) scheme is proposed for each AGV-RIS consisting of the deployment and configuration parameters. Experimental results presented that i-Dris can reach up to a rate of 1 Gbps under a bandwidth of 100 MHz, with comparably low complexity.

Biography:

Li-Hsiang Shen received Ph.D. degree from the Institute of Communication Engineering, National Chiao Tung University (NCTU), Hsinchu, Taiwan, in 2020. Since February 2024, he has been an Assistant Professor with the Department of Communication Engineering, National Central University (NCU), Taoyuan, Taiwan. From 2018 to 2019, he was a Visiting Scholar with the Next Generation Wireless Research Group of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), University of Southampton, U.K. From 2021 to 2023, he was a Postdoc with ECE, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU), Hsinchu, Taiwan. In 2023, he was a Visiting Scholar with California PATH, Berkeley DeepDrive, University of California, Berkeley (UCB), USA. His research interests include wireless broadband (5G/6G), space-air-ground integrated network (SAGIN), low Earth orbit (LEO), reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS), wireless local area networks (WLANs), and machine and deep learning for wireless networks. He was the recipient of Ph. D Scholarship from NCTU and from Industry-Academic Elite Program in 2015-2019. He was rewarded the first prize of Broadcom Foundation Asia Pacific Workshop in 2019. In 2021, he was rewarded IEEE Best PhD Thesis Award, NYCU Outstanding Ph.D. Research, and Phi Tau Phi Scholastic Honor Society of Taiwan. In 2022, he was rewarded National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) FutureTech Award, NSTC Postdoctoral Research Abroad Program, and NSTC Postdoctoral Research Award. In 2023-2024, he was rewarded Wen-Yuan Pan Foundation Exploration Research Award, and NCU Rising Stars twice.

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